Second of two parts
Thinking about the challenges facing American political discourse, Alfonso Narvaez, a self-described community leader in Toledo, harkened back to the words of Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided cannot stand.”
Dan Messina, who works with a group focused on creating political dialogue, found inspiration in a different Lincoln quote: “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
The fact that both men looked to President Lincoln, who guided the nation through its most divisive political moment, for inspiration in the present seems apt as the Pew Research Center reports that Democrats and Republicans feel farther apart than they have in decades.
Heading into a 2024 election cycle that both parties are describing as the most important and divisive in a generation, groups across Toledo, the state, and the nation are trying to bring people with opposing views back together. These groups have a variety of aims: some look to spur political discourse and others simply look to come together outside the bounds of politics.
However, they face significant obstacles in these efforts. Fritz Schoen, vice chairman of the Lucas County GOP, said conversations with his liberal counterparts have become more infrequent and more challenging.
“I essentially avoid them,” he said. “You can’t get into conversations with people when they’re coming from two different perspectives or [have different places] where they’re getting their information from. ... Can I have a civil conversation with someone? Yeah. Up to a certain point.”
He continued that, when people cannot agree on the facts, they cannot have any meaningful discourse. Thinking about what causes the factual divide, he said he believes people, especially liberals, are prone to think emotionally rather than logically when it comes to politics.
Schuyler Beckwith, chairman of the Lucas County Democrats, concurred that finding a middle ground with the other side has gotten harder, but she believes there is a different cause for the problem.
“When we have state legislators who stay late into the night to legislate people’s bodies but not take up the issue that we’ve had several mass shootings in the state of Ohio in the last month, it creates a different playing field,” she said. “We are not on the same page here if that is the thing that Republican leadership is concerned about versus the true issues that are facing everyday Ohioans.”
In the face of such views, the Rev. Gayle Catinella, rector at St. Michael’s in the Hills Episcopal Church in Ottawa Hills, is leading her congregation on a mission to put politics to the side. Its 2024 initiative, Neighbor to Neighbor, urges people to focus on the things that unify, rather than divide, the community.
The central premise of the organization, Rev. Catinella explained, is that neighbors should still look out for each other and engage in acts of kindness, no matter how much they disagree politically.
“People are so excited about being able to do something,” she said. “People are feeling helpless and afraid and an impending sense of doom, but they can still let the elderly lady go in front of them in the grocery line and do a good thing. We are still in charge of the narrative of our lives. We can still be good, kind, compassionate people.”
Carol Nichols, who came to Rev. Catinella with the basic idea for the group, explained that it stemmed from her frequent political disagreements with her own neighbor. Like many Toledoans and Americans, they both found themselves putting up opposing political yard signs. In response, Neighbor to Neighbor is distributing signs urging people to love their neighbors.
The concept has resonated with the community, as the initiative has attracted 35 sponsors and partners, and raised more than $50,000. Rev. Catinella said Toledoans are so excited about the prospect that they are calling her unprompted to ask what they can do to contribute to the efforts.
Among those with more extreme political views, however, there is still some concern these centrist efforts are nothing more than a bandage on a bullet hole. When the stakes feel so high, just accepting disagreements can feel inadequate.
Thus, other groups are working to actually try to bring people together in political discourse with those they disagree with. Braver Angels is a national organization with three alliances across Ohio aiming to do just that.
Dan Messina, a Republican co-chairman of Braver Angels’ northeast Ohio alliance, gave three reasons for why he joined the group and why he thinks it is so important.
“I’m a huge believer in having civil discourse,” he said. “I remember a time when we used to do this. It’s become less and less of a thing. I really feel it’s important for us to talk to each other and understand where we’re coming from.”
His two other reasons were more illuminating about the group’s function. Mr. Messina said he wanted to share his views, especially when he sees inaccurate reports on a topic. Lastly, he pointed to a fundamental curiosity. The conversations allow him to learn why people hold different beliefs than he does.
While the group occasionally does work to reach agreement or consensus in certain meetings, much of the time it simply focuses on discussion. Mr. Messina and Kelly Zimmerman, a Democratic Ohio state co-chairman, said the conversations are a goal in and of themselves.
“We’re not trying to change anyone’s minds or their views on issues,” Mr. Zimmerman said. “But what ends up happening is we do end up changing how we view each other. ... It’s fine to disagree. In fact, we need disagreement for a healthy democracy. It’s the fact that it’s gone over into the affective component that we have these really strong negative feelings toward the people that hold different views.”
When people talk, especially face-to-face, it becomes difficult to view the other side as the worst stereotypes portrayed in the media. Instead, Braver Angels forces people to take the time to understand the lived experiences underpinning opposing views.
To maximize this kind of understanding, the organization actually urges members not to get into conversations with the intent to persuade or debate, as that can make people feel defensive or argumentative rather than open to new perspectives.
While a growing literature points to the efficacy of this program in decreasing affective polarization, it still does not address the wide policy gap between the two parties on major issues like gun control, abortion, and foreign policy. And Braver Angels does not claim to do so. It does not moderate the facts, instead allowing members to work that out on their own.
Although Braver Angels does not have a northwest Ohio alliance, the same principles have been present in local organizations.
In April, the city’s Human Relations Commission organized an event called the Human Library to bring people together from different backgrounds and ideologies to have face-to-face dialogues and share perspectives.
Ms. Beckwith said the Lucas County Democrats organized a booth at the county fair to reach out to people who would not ordinarily hear their messages. Mr. Schoen said he looks to promote awareness of election integrity and encourages people to work as poll workers to understand the importance of bipartisan cooperation.
What all these events have in common is that they require people to actually talk in person with people from the other side. While there certainly is no silver bullet to the political divide, that is a first step. It does not guarantee agreement or even compromise, and in some cases, may even stoke stronger disagreement. But at least it will be an informed disagreement taken up in good faith.
“We just have to stop dehumanizing people,” Ms. Beckwith said. “We need to make sure it’s not us versus them.”
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